Top NBA stars donate for ‘Kicks to Beat Cancer’

As ESPN celebrates its 12th annual V Week for Cancer Research, a new initiative has been added to the slate of charitable fundraising drivers, seeing several of the basketball world’s biggest stars donate sneakers for “Kicks to Beat Cancer.”

Ranging from vintage game-worn pairs of Paul Pierce’s very first signature shoe, to a handful of original models from Scottie Pippen‘s line and signed pairs from the likes of Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, the assortment highlights how the league’s long list of stars can put their sneakers to good use. Today’s reigning sneaker champ also delivered, as PJ Tucker donated game-worn pairs of two of his most coveted kicks.

To place your bids on over two dozen signed and game-worn sneakers from some of the game’s biggest stars, you can visit ebay.com/ESPN. Bidding for each auction ends this Thursday, December 6th at 7 p.m. ET, with all proceeds benefiting The V Foundation.

Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady’s newest Adidas model will soon be releasing in a new colorway to celebrate TMac’s iconic 13 points in 35 seconds outburst to carry the Houston Rockets to victory over the San Antonio Spurs in 2004, but he wanted to first debut the shoe here for a good cause.

“It was probably one of my best individual performances as a basketball player,” McGrady said. “We had to put that story into the shoe.”

Graphics and color accents highlight his on-fire clutch shooting, seen in red and yellow. The moment has become one of his most cherished highlights among his fanbase, and the shoe will release exclusively in China.

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DeMarcus Cousins Signed Puma Clyde Court Disrupt

Size 17. Red / Yellow

The newest star signing with Puma, NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins has been working his way back onto the court this season in this bold and brash launch colorway of the Clyde Court Disrupt.

“My biggest thing is just being as loud and as different as I can be on the floor,” Cousins said. “That’s something [Puma has] embraced and pride themselves on.”

With a vibrant red and yellow upper, the Clyde Court is in your face, much like Cousins’ radiant personality.

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Scottie Pippen Signed Nike Air Swift, Air More Uptempo, Air Pippen 1, Air Pippen 2 & Air Pippen 3

During the mid-90s, Scottie Pippen was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career, earning his very own signature shoe with Nike.

“I’m happy that I had finally arrived,” he reflects. “I had been sitting there for years watching Michael Jordan put out shoes, and I’m like, ‘Hello! Don’t forget about me.'”

Pippen’s signature series followed up on the massive success of the Air More Uptempo, the model he wore during the Bulls’ championship 72-10 season. The oversized A-I-R lettering was unmistakable from a mile away, celebrating the brand’s use of a full-length Air Max unit.

“This was a bold shoe,” says Pippen. “I think Nike did a great job of really making a statement with this shoe. At the time,I was playing some great basketball – MVP-style basketball. I was pretty confident, and I felt like the shoe complimented it well.”

Just as he was entering the prime of his career, Paul Pierce became just the 15th NBA player in Nike’s company history to receive his own signature shoe, the simply titled Air Max Pierce. With his name appearing across the forefoot lockdown strap, his nickname “The Truth” could be found along the heel counter. The sleekened design highlighted Pierce’s attacking scoring mentality on the floor.

“I started ballin’! I went in there and said, ‘I need a signature shoe,'” he recalls. “I was very proud of it. This is when you know you made it. I thought this was a perfect design for my first shoe.”

In addition the game-worn sneakers from the 2005-06 season, Pierce is also donating a pair of the Air Max P2 IV, the model worn throughout his Celtics’ championship 2007-08 season. “My championship shoe that I wore in ’08, these will forever be the shoe that I felt I balled out in,” says Pierce.

The league’s reigning sneaker champ wanted to bring it, donating two of the more coveted kicks he’s worn in the last year.

“I’m just so excited to be doing this,” Tucker said.

ESPN

In addition to a game-worn pair of the “Red October Air Yeezy 2 from his personal collection, the Rockets forward is also donating an Air Jordan 13 made exclusively for the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team. The university’s Duck mascot is seen along the collar sphere, replacing the Jumpman logo icon on the model, while the iconic “O” logo can be found atop the tongue. Along the bottom of the tongue, “Hoops” can be seen in place of the usual “Jordan” wordmark.

“These shoes were big for me, and meant a lot because they were really hard to get and I love the colorway,” Tucker said. “It’s one of my favorite basketball shoes to play in.”

In early November, Kyrie Irving debuted his fifth signature shoe in a Celtics colorway. This is the exact pair he wore that night. Throughout the creation of the Kyrie 5, the five-time All-Star was looking to inject more storytelling into latest sneaker.

“Before, I was just trying to get a shoe out,” Irving said. “I was just trying to have something that looks hot, looks good. Now, I’m trying to have something that is driven from who I am.”

The outsole pattern drafts off of Irving’s “Hamsa Hand” tattoo along his left shoulder, while phrases and details are layered in throughout, serving as points of inspiration and a window into Irving’s personality and drive. Styled in a clean white base, with green and gum accents throughout, this colorway of the Kyrie 5 was made as a player exclusive only for Irving, and is not scheduled to release otherwise.